Mediagazer: For many, the local newspaper isn't dying - it's already dead (Robert Hernandez/Online Journalism Review)

8:15 AM ET, March 20, 2010

Top News:

Stat Rant: Does Facebook Trumps Google For News & Can't We Measure Twitter Correctly? — Earlier this week, Hitwise put out stats suggesting that Facebook is beating Google and Twitter when it comes to driving traffic to news sites. I dug a little deeper, and I beg to differ.

Heather Hopkins / Hitwise Intelligence:
Facebook Visitors Come Back Again and Again

Discussion: MediaPost, Search Engine Watch, WebNewser and ReadWriteWeb

Mac Slocum / O'Reilly Radar:

Trapping content on the iPad won't work, even if it's pretty — Wired is one of the few magazines I read cover to cover. It consistently exposes me to new ideas and topics. For that, I'm grateful (and a longtime subscriber). — But when it comes to the iPad, I really don't understand what the Wired crew is doing.

Douglas MacMillan / Business Week:
Apple Swears iPad Partners to Secrecy

Discussion: Mashable!, TechCrunch, All Things Digital, Fast Company, Silicon Alley Insider, Gadget Lab, Online, Engadget and Gizmodo

Laura Oliver / Journalism.co.uk:
Interview magazine: ‘The iPad is the future and we embrace it openly’

Discussion: GigaOM and Online

Robert Andrews / paidContent:

FT.com Takes Free Articles Away From Unregistered Users, Except Via Search — Now the Financial Times is getting really bullish about its web access model. In another tweak, it's now ensuring that no free articles are on offer to non-registered users. — In 2007, the site introduced …

Discussion: WebNewser, The Wire and FishBowlNY

Foster Kamer / Runnin' Scared:

WSJ's New Union Contract: Wage Freeze to July 2011! — As the Wall Street Journal hurries to ready Project Amsterdam, Rupert Murdoch's bid to rock the New York Times dead with a big, splashy color metropolitan section before he kicks the bucket, staffers at the Journal are burning the midnight oil.

Discussion: FishBowlNY, IAPE 1096, Romenesko, News Corp. Blog, New York Magazine, Media Decoder and The Wire

Matea Gold / Los Angeles Times:

Bill O'Reilly's indie instincts — In a time of political turmoil, can the Fox News commentator be seen as a moderate? — Fox News' top-rated host Bill O'Reilly has helped to make the network a ratings leader. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) — Reporting from New York

Discussion: Mediaite, Romenesko, Gawker and The Wire

John Koblin / New York Observer:

It's War! Kate Taylor Quits The Journal to Join The Times — Arts reporter Kate Taylor quit The Wall Street Journal today and is joing The New York Times. — Ms. Taylor, a veteran of the Sun, joined The Wall Street Journal's New York section only six weeks ago.

Discussion: FishBowlNY and The Wire

Robert Hernandez / Online Journalism Review:

For many, the local newspaper isn't dying - it's already dead — By Robert Hernandez: The doomsday scenario has been on everyone's mind, including some at SXSWi, since the revenue/circulation has dropped through the floor and the brilliant mind of Clay Shirky articulated “thinking the unthinkable.”

Brian Aguilar / Wall Street Journal:

A History of Wall Street Journal Hedcuts — When job-seeking illustrator Laura Levy first met the team of Wall Street Journal hedcut artists in the early 1980s, she was struck by their peculiar task. — “I saw what these people were doing and I thought, 'they're insane,'” says Levy.

Discussion: New York Observer, The Stranger …, The Awl and Charles Apple

Chris Ariens / TVNewser:

Amanpour's Note to CNN Colleagues: ‘So Why am I Leaving? In My Heart I am Not’ — CNN's Christiane Amanpour sent a note to her colleagues today telling them she is “stunned and humbled by all your words and thoughts and good wishes.” Amanpour announced yesterday she would be leaving CNN for ABC News to moderate “This Week.”

Discussion: The Wire, The Politico, mediabistro.com and FishBowlDC

David Folkenflik / NPR:

ABC News Under Fire For Payment To Murder Suspect — text sizeAAA — ABC News is facing sharp criticism over the disclosure that it paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to a Florida woman who now stands accused of killing her own infant daughter. — The $200,000 payment in August 2008 …

Discussion: TVNewser

Chris Rovzar / New York Magazine:

Ana Marie Cox: Nick Denton a ‘Completely Unrepentant, Unethical Person’ — Ana Marie Cox. — Ana Marie Cox's review in Bookforum of Emily Gould's new book, And the Heart Says ... Whatever, says a lot about Gould and what the former Wonkette editor thinks of her writing.

Discussion: bookforum.com and Gawker

Newsdesk / Tower Ticker:

Playboy.com takes off top editor — Scott Smith is out after a year at Playboy.com, the last seven months as its editor. — Playboy Enterprises, through a spokeswoman, cited “creative differences” and said Smith's responsibilities will be split by Sam Jemielity, the Web site's executive editor …

Discussion: Romenesko

Stephen Lowman / Washington Post:

The future of children's book publishing — Jeff Kinney has worked full-time for a decade designing popular kid-friendly Web games. He also writes stories, but his best-selling series, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” was originally published online, not in a book. This free online version regularly gets 70,000 hits a day.

Media & Culture:

The Pentagon's Stringers — Ex-CNN exec Eason Jordan and author Robert Pelton say their Afghan reporting project was hijacked by a rogue DoD official. But had their unorthodox operation already crossed a line? — Post Comment — Need entrée to Afghan warlords and powerbrokers?

Discussion: MySanAntonio.com and Michael Calderone's Blog